College football is officially here, and game week always brings the analysts out with their predictions. Everyone’s lining up with bold calls on who’s got the best players and units in the country. Freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith is already being teased as the breakout star, while Caleb Downs is drawing early love as the nation’s most dominant defensive force. And Fox’s Colin Cowherd proclaimed that one Big Ten powerhouse owns both the best backfield and the best offensive line, and in his words, “it’s not particularly close.”

So who’s Colin crowning? It’s Penn State. The same Nittany Lions that were a heartbreak pick-six away from a national title shot last season. On Joel Klatt’s show, Cowherd didn’t even blink when he said, “The best backfield in the country, and it’s not particularly close, is Penn State.” And honestly, he’s not pulling that out of thin air. In 2024, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen pulled off something no other PSU duo has ever done. Both cracked 1,000 yards rushing.

Let’s break it down. Allen ran for 1,108 yards and 8 scores, while Singleton wasn’t far behind with 1,099 yards and 12 touchdowns. Together? They are unstoppable. During the College Football Playoff, they weren’t scared of the big stage. Singleton added 366 yards and five TDs across 4 games, Allen went for 410 and three. That’s a thunder-and-lightning tag team built in a lab. Pro Football Focus even doubled down this preseason, ranking both in the top 10 returning backs nationally. Singleton at No. 3, Allen at No. 6. No other team has two backs in that range.

And Cowherd didn’t stop there. He looked at the big boys up front and went all in: “The best offensive line in the country, I don’t think it’s particularly close, is Penn State.” Now, that’s a spicier take. PSU’s line in 2024 wasn’t the flashiest, but it was rock solid. They only gave up 8 sacks all season, eighth-best in the nation, while helping the offense rip 3,200+ rushing yards. That’s steady protection with a side of mauling. Under coach Phil Trautwein, this O-line went from liability to a straight up problem for opposing defenses. Injuries came, guys shuffled in, but the machine never broke. Depth players like Drew Shelton stepped in and held it down.

That said, not everyone’s sold. Athlon had Penn State’s O-line ranked just sixth in the Big Ten last season. Behind Oregon, Michigan, and Ohio State. But that was 2024. This year, it’s a different story. 4 starters return, including center Nick Dawkins and left tackle Drew Shelton, giving PSU that chemistry most programs lack. Black Shoe Diaries straight-up called the line the “bedrock” of the offense, while Last Word on Sports thinks they’re Joe Moore Award contenders. Add in the experience, the beef, and the fact they’ve got one of the most dangerous backfields in the country running behind them? Suddenly, Cowherd doesn’t sound so wild. The real question is: can James Franklin finally step up and win against heavy-hitters?

Is 2025 Penn State’s year?

Here’s the million-dollar question. Can all this hype turn into hardware? Penn State went 13-3 last year, only to have their season ripped away in the semis by Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame squad. A pick-six in crunch time sent them packing. That sting hasn’t faded, and this offseason, the Nittany Lions moved like a team dead set on finishing the job.

It starts with Drew Allar. The former five-star has trimmed weight, trying to add more agility and quicker decision-making to his game. He’s got the backfield of Singleton and Allen behind him, but this year, he’s also got more weapons outside. Transfers Trebor Peña, Kyron Hudson, and Devonte Ross beef up a wideout unit that finally looks reliable.

On defense, Penn State stacked even more firepower. Zane Durant and Dani Dennis-Sutton are back, bringing the same chaos and aggression that’s been PSU’s defensive trademark. And the coaching carousel worked in their favor. Jim Knowles, the former Ohio State coordinator, is now calling the shots on defense.

Still, nothing in the Big Ten comes easy. Allar’s biggest hurdle is the big-game spotlight. His accuracy dips against top-10 opponents, just like his coach. Until he proves he can hang with the elites in December, doubts will linger. Vegas has Penn State’s win total set at 10.5, with +750 odds to win the natty and +230 to win the conference. Translation: the books believe, but they’re hedging. Joel Klatt? He’s all in, ranking PSU No. 1 in his post-spring Top 25. That’s rare air, usually reserved for the Alabamas and Georgias of the world.

So, can Penn State really make this their year? On paper, absolutely. They’ve got the dogs in the backfield, a wall up front, an upgraded receiving corps, and a nasty defense. But football isn’t played on paper. It’s played on cold nights in Columbus, in whiteouts at Happy Valley, and under playoff lights when the pressure crushes most.